Vision of Caribbean Higher Education
The Future of Central College: 2022 to 2037
EDHE 8003 Trends, Issues and Challenges in Higher Education
by: Aleia Beecher| July 15, 2022| Issue 1|
Introduction
The executive role of higher education as a tool for driving change in the knowledge economy and catalysing the transformation of developing countries, has become a shared perspective among nations. In fact, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), focusing urgently on higher education will only serve to accelerate the contribution, participation and benefits of 21st Century global transformation for developing countries (UNESCO, 2022). Education, particularly at the tertiary level, has the capacity for significant economic progress, due to its high rates of return for both the individual and the community of higher education. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (2022) underscores the need for urgency in the approach which higher education institutions must take towards advancing the 2030 Agenda. A report on the role of higher education institutions in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals determined that many critical decisions which can transform the social, economic and environmental outcomes globally, are significantly under the influence of higher education institutions (UNESCO, 2022). Perhaps, most importantly, the Report chides leaders and stakeholders to do critical reflection as they prepare to transform and use knowledge-driven actions to reconceptualize the higher education landscape globally (UNESCO, 2022). Aligning tertiary institutions in the effort of higher education for any nation’s citizenry is, therefore, extremely vital to the developmental process. Against this background, universities, colleges and polytechnics, as an essential component of Jamaica’s tertiary framework, need to be poised to facilitate the best possible outcomes in the future higher education environment.
Many critical decisions which can transform the social, economic and environmental outcomes globally, are significantly under the influence of higher education institutions (UNESCO, 2022).
COVID-19 has blind-sighted the most vulnerable in education and new strategies must be devised by leaders.
Synopsis of Current Institutional Context
Central College, is a small new tertiary institution on the Jamaican higher education landscape. It is situated in an urban community and has recently been upgraded to tertiary status. An environmental scan was conducted to support the Strategic Management’s thrust for visioning to support positive growth and change for the institution for the next fifteen years. This assessment scrutinized all aspects of the institution as well as the impact of the College’s environment on how it operates, since this is a key indicator of its success. Political factors such as recent changes in the ruling government have affected funding since the College was the initiative of the previous government as well as competition regulation and tax policy amendment. Economic factors such as low levels of disposable income; unavailability of funding from donors, deficits in government budget allocation, inflation; low enrolment; constrained spending and unemployment have been identified. Job market stagnation, lay-offs, poor attitudes towards education; wealth/lifestyle and attitudes towards health are other social factors. Technology change, access, infrastructure, training/innovation are technological factors identified in the analysis. Legal factors including legislative changes; bond agreements by lenders; new regulations for guarantors and environmental factors; the COVID-19 pandemic; health regulations; natural disaster (flooding) impact and the Caribbean hurricane season all impact Central College. These factors are elaborated on in Table 1 (See Appendix A.)
The SWOT Analysis in Table 2 below, outlines a synopsis of the challenges that Central College is facing.
Table 2
SWOT Analysis for Central College
Higher Education Institutions have been forced to go online to maintain academic continuity.
Vision for Central College’s Future Higher Education Environment
Table 3 outlines the vision for Central College in response to its socio-economic, cultural, political, legal and human resources challenges and issues. Below, the strategic goals outlined will drive the change for the future of the College’s education delivery over the next decade and a half, and are based on the SWOT and PESTLE analyses conducted.
Table 3
Visioning Goals based on the SWOT/Environment Analysis
Strategies to Achieve the Goals and Measurements
Goal One
To elevate teaching and learning standards towards a learning organization. This goal will see faculty being supported in a variety of program enrichment sessions which are mandatory and will be time-tabled during regular work hours.
Goal Two
To increase student enrolment by at least 50% by the year 2037.
This goal will be actioned through explicit media, print and curbside recruitment by the Marketing and Registry Teams commencing in July, 2022. A KPI will be tracking student registration, student/faculty ratio; weekly attendance rate through roll-marking, the LMS and with register audits and needs assessent surveys.
Goal Three
To foster positive student outcomes and eradicate student attrition completely.
The Registry and Bursary will track trends and complete audits, presenting findings to the School Board. Student Advising will be introduced to support work and career focused experiences and Administration will provide required resources to initiate and sustain programs.
Goal Four
To increase total revenue by at least 15% by the end of Semester 1, 2037.
Income generation initiatives of consultancy, rental of campus, apprenticeship partnerships, increased enrolment and reduced overheads to diversify revenue streams in the budget. Automated reports and a mid-cycle review and audit will also be done.
Goal Five
To lower overhead costs by at least 15% by the end of Semester 1, 2037.
LED lighting security cameras and smart-meter will be installed by Plant Manager by August 1, 2022. HR will redistribute existing watchmen to reduce hours. Enterprise Resource Planning software will be use to analyze costs; internal audits.
Goal Six
To engage at least 85% of lecturers in robust research production and consultation activities by the end of Semester 1, 2037.
The Council of Community Colleges and other HEIs regularly request lecturers to coordinate research projects. Thus, ensuring compliance with these requirements will see HR/Administration employing a Research Officer to guide the process. Human Resources Department/Administration is to secure contracts by August 15, 2022 and adjust timetables to facilitate absences. KPI includes number of consultations per year; faculty and staff retention/attendance rate; revenue generated; stakeholder feedback/observations and percentage of faculty with advanced degrees.
Goal Seven
To establish paid apprenticeship partnering to accommodate at least 500 students by Semester 2, 2037.
Placement Officer/Registry/Bursary establish partnerships with stakeholders by Semester 1, 2022 for the 2022/2023 academic year; student placement commences January, 2023. KPI includes inspections, feedback logs, ratings/reviews; percentage on student placement received.
Goal Eight
To enhance the effective management of the human resources to ensure sustainable organization.
The Director of Human Resources and the Leadership Team will conduct frequent culture and internal customer service surveys that regularly measure effectiveness and progress. A budget for professional development and training will be established and staff encouraged to seize all opportunities for self-improvement and professional growth. There will be established, an incentive system to facilitate the reconciliation of the interests of each person with the interests of the College.
Goal Nine
To enhance the effective management of the curricular and physical resources to ensure 90% sustainable organization.
Revamp the delivery of online programs by increasing new course offerings through MOOCs and the award of micro credentials. A key aspect of this is also modernizing the College’s workshop/laboratories with cutting edge resources such as lecture halls, technologically advanced equipment, computers and internet broadband facility. The College will also move to install alternate energy solutions to reduce dependency on Jamaica’s national grid and provide experiential knowledge for students. Central College will pursue local and international quality standards and benchmarks by ensuring that student, staff and organizational policies and guidelines are shared and adhered to. There will be the development of a Learning Management System and access to information to ensure transparency and accountability. The institution will bolster information technology resources and reprographic equipment; replace outdated equipment; refurbish administrative offices and expand physical structure to accommodate Student Services, Registry, Student Advising, First Aid and Director of Quality Assurance, to advance mission of Central College. Additionally, there will be an increase in library resources: print, digital, subscription nd overall the physical environment will be poised to connect with the College principles of sustainability.
Universities face multiple challenges, such as changing student demographics, financial burden, evolving stakeholder demands, and rapid technological change. The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated existing trends pushing universities to adapt, transform, and innovate.
Underlying Challenge to Central College’s Future Growth and Sustainability
The main factors driving challenges of regional public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) such as Central College are: a) lack of funding from governments due to slow economic growth in the region (UWI Open Campus, 2020, p. 4; Williams, 2017); b) lack of proper visioning tools such as strategic planning, environmental scanning and data analytics in budgeting and allocation of resources (UWI Open Campus, 2020, p. 18; Williams, 2017) and c) an inadequate range of options or initiatives which students and their families can access to affordably finance their tuition obligations to HEIs (Williams, 2017).
HEIs require much funding and receive most of taxpayer funds for tertiary education (Williams, 2017). These high-cost models operated by universities require significant investment, despite the low level of participation by residents and so Caribbean governments “are hard pressed to fund tertiary education institutions at the requested levels given slow economic growth in some countries” (UWI Open Campus, 2020, p. 4). This is because governments have to fund other sectors as well as their commitment to education for all at the primary and secondary levels — the latter of which has necessitated more need for spaces and funding at the tertiary level. There is also public outcry that there is not enough return on funding HE (UWI Open Campus, 2020).
Additionally, the operational style of most publicly funded HEIs have not traditionally favored business-model type entrepreneurship (UWI Open Campus, 2020); hence, there is less strategic planning or use of data analytics or KPIs in fiscal procedures such as budget development, resource allocation, reporting and fundraising initiatives. Williams (2017) suggests this lack of innovation and creativity in the funding models practiced by many Caribbean HEIs contributes to the financial challenges experienced.
Finally, after government funding, schools are much reliant on tuition for revenue. Governments tend to stipulate a band or ratio which inhibits HEIs from setting their own fees based on operating costs and to compound this, there are insufficient flexible options for student finance which students and their families can pursue (Williams, 2017). Thus, receivables is often left out of pocket when students cannot deliver on their tuition obligations, thereby compounding the financial challenge (Williams, 2017).
The current funding model shows Central College to be 100% government funded based on student enrolment. This new polytechnic institution which was borne out of a political ideation for national development, is perhaps one of a few community colleges that is supported in absolute dollar by the public purse. The incremental budget model is used to prepare the budget instrument for the financial year. This is prepared by the Bursar in and lead members of the administrative team, then sent annually to the Ministry of Finance. This forecast of expenditure, once approved, is released in tranches to the College. The funding includes operating grants 10%, capital funds 5%, non-operating grants 26%, government Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) grants in lieu of student tuition fees 52%; and auxiliary funding which support the school canteen, welfare and other services 7%.
Central College was developed in the bid to democratize education in its locale for the raft of excluded groups which lives among its hinterland communities. Thus, these students who have low socio-economic orientations and poor income streams, do not pay school fees, but instead receive stipends from the institution to help them commit to their programmes of study full time. The College does not turn a profit from its canteen and tuck shop as these operate at fixed or subsidized costs which the government absorbs as part of its strategy to provide at least one meal a day to the students free and the others minimally priced to students. Tax breaks provided by the government through the Ministry of Finance also help to offset purchases conducted by the school and minimal income comes from school participation in sports competitions. However, the revenue from the latter is insignificant since it is reinvested into fees for competitions without a significant profit margin.
Perhaps the most crucial part of the 15-year visioning plan is to ensure the funding strategy for Central College can be improved by “leveraging the assets and relationships of the organization to gain support and/or increase [its] revenue” (p. 32) and adopting a more entrepreneurial model (UWI Open Campus, 2020). Many options such as seeking direct contributions from high net-worth individuals, alumni, philanthropists and philanthropic organizations, foundation or grant agencies, graduate taxes (Hosein & Franklin, 2011), or eking out government fiscal incentives are ways that can potentially improve funding strategy of HEIs, (UWI Open Campus, 2020, p. 32), but these may not be the most efficient options in Central College’s context. The institution does not have an alumnus because the college is new; non-profit organizations are not as financially viable locally as in the US (Rossodivita & Pantoja, n.d.); the College is already receiving maximum support from the government and it is also not very well known. The three best options to improve the funding strategy to ensure that the College has a future, is to diversify revenue streams from the sale of training, research and consultancy services; develop partnerships with businesses that have interests in the institution, its programmes and the community and finally, and rent the facilities and and other assets of the campus where demand exists (UWI Open Campus, 2020).
The sale of training, research and consultancy services is justified because the newly hired staff at Central College ranks as the highest percentage of postgraduate trained staff in all the CCCJ’s institutions with 100% of lecturers with Master degrees and some training for doctoral degrees. This significant wealth of academia can be a valuable resource in the provision of consultancy or specialized training and production of research for institutions and organizations. Secondly, the institution can raise its own money through developing partnerships with industry businesses (UWI Open Campus, 2020), e.g., those in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Hospitality and Geriatric Care and Computer and Electronics Repairs that align with the institution’s bespoke applied bachelor degrees. There can be a mutually beneficial relationship as industry can have paid apprenticeships/internships that can give them access to prime graduates who can build their companies, whilst the College will glean revenue and repute. The institution is also situated in a community that has a legacy in reggae. It could be used as a hub or tourist attraction with a souvenir shop if partnerships are made with the businesses that take tourists to nearby spots. Finally, the College has a sprawling campus and relatively modern laboratories. The rental of HEI facilities and other assets if there is a demand, can bring welcome revenue. The College can be rented to organizations for educational gatherings such as retreats, assemblies, examination labs/centres; entertainment functions such as fairs, fetes and concerts; social gatherings such as camp meetings, crusades, rallies; and recreational events such as sporting matches.
In justifying HEI revenue investments, Brunton (2011) explains that, “A highly skilled workforce is associated with greater levels of consumption, increases in the government’s tax base, and lower levels of unemployment” (p. 26). Escalante (2011) also suggests that training all staff in “revenue generation techniques” p. 19), and moving away from aged 20th century traditional bureaucratic structures that still govern HEIs, towards more “flexible and nimble” (p.17) entrepreneurial processes that search out non-state funding, is what will mobilize HEIs towards fiscal growth and development (p. 18). The benefits are justified as they will outweigh the inputs and processes and add value to the organization (Brunton, 2011).
Vision to Ensure Accountability to Partners
According to Dowd and Taing Sheih, (2013), managers of HEIs must “demonstrate fiduciary control, stable operations and functioning administrative procedures” (p. 51). Bureaucratic accountability in the form of performance reporting is essential at the foundational level and shows admin efficiency; market accountability in the form of performance indicators and measurable outcomes, regulates processes and inputs; while professional accountability “assure[s] educational quality and productivity” (p. 54). Ensuring accountability exists will ensure that funding to HEIs is not cut or removed and will ensure that the stakeholders’ interests are served (Hopkins, 2015). Table 4 shows how performance reporting can be measured along three standards to ensure accountability and transparency.
Table 4
Strategies to Ensure Stakeholder Satisfaction with Financial Accountability
References
Brunton, R. (2011). Funding tertiary level education In T &T: An assessment of the merits of a graduate tax. In Renwick, S. & Quamina-Aiyejina, L. (Eds) Sustainable Funding of Higher Education in Challenging Times. http://uwispace.sta.uwi.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/2139/12633/ FINAL_WIGUT_PROCEEDINGS_4_WEB.pdf?sequence=1
Dowd, A.C., & Taing Sheih, L., (2013). Community college finance: Equity, efficiency and accountability. The NEA 2013 Almanac of Higher Education, 37–65. https://cue.usc.edu/files/2016/01/Dowd_CCFinancing_EquEffandAccount_NEA-Almanac_2013.pdf
Escalante, A. (2011). Funding tertiary level education In T &T: An assessment of the merits of a graduate tax. In Renwick, S. & Quamina-Aiyejina, L. (Eds) Sustainable Funding of Higher Education in Challenging Times. http://uwispace.sta.uwi.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/2139/12633/ FINAL_WIGUT_PROCEEDINGS_4_WEB.pdf?sequence=1
Hawkins, H. (2015, January 11). Accountability in higher education. [Video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX6dW9t1gmM
Hosein, R. &. Franklin. M. (2011). Funding tertiary level education In T &T: An assessment of the merits of a graduate tax. In Renwick, S. & Quamina-Aiyejina, L. (Eds) Sustainable Funding of Higher Education in Challenging Times. http://uwispace.sta.uwi.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/2139/12633/ FINAL_WIGUT_PROCEEDINGS_4_WEB.pdf?sequence=1
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UNESCO. (2022, June 27). The turning point: Why we must transform education now.
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/turning-point-why-we-must-transform-education-now.
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UWI Open Campus. (2020). EDHE:8002: Managing educational resources: Financial planning and management in higher education: Unit 1: Making financial decisions. The Learning Exchange.
UWI Open Campus. (2020). EDHE:8002: Managing educational resources: Financial planning and management in higher education: Unit 2: Strategic planning and finance. The Learning Exchange.
UWI Open Campus. (2020). EDHE:8002: Managing educational resources: Financial planning and management in higher education: Unit 3: Financing higher education. The Learning Exchange. https://2020.tle.courses.open.uwi.edu/pluginfile.php/139909/mod_resource/content/4/EDHE8002%20Module%201%20Unit%203%20-%20Version%201.pdf
Williams, D. (2017, May 11). Wrong narrative on affordability. The Gleaner. http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/focus/20170514/densil-williams-wrong-narrative-affordability
Appendix A:
PESTLE Analysis
Table 1
Pestle Analysis for Central College
Aleia Beecher is an educator with two decades of experience ranging from the primary to secondary and tertiary levels of the education system. She has taught previously in Caribbean schools, but now teaches in Australia where she resides. Aleia holds a Master of Arts in Education, with a major in Curriculum and Instruction and a Master of Education in Educational Administration. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Higher Education at the University of the West Indies.